Teahon denies pressure over Aquatic Centre

PADDY TEAHON, the former executive chairman of the State company that owns the €62 million National Aquatic Centre (NAC), has denied before the High Court that he was under extreme pressure from Taoiseach Bertie Ahern to have matters regarding the centre sorted so it would be open in time for the Special Olympics of summer 2003.

Mr Justice Paul Gilligan also heard yesterday that the building contracting firm Rohcon had made a payment of IR£750,000 to Dublin Waterworld Limited (DWL) to attract it into the consortium which secured the contract for construction and operation of the centre in April 2003.

The judge is hearing an application by Campus Stadium Ireland Development Limited (CSID) the State company established in 2000 to secure and pay for the building and operation of the Aquatic Centre for forfeiture of the lease for the NAC from DWL for alleged multiple breaches of the terms of the lease.